Valley Township Police Department

11/02/2020

Due to the on-going issues with Facebook, we are not able to respond to messages sent to us via Facebook. If you have a question, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you!

11/02/2020

Election Day is tomorrow! For our friends living in voting precincts 670, 671, and 672, you'll be voting at the Rainbow Elementary School. For those in precinct 675 who usually vote at the Westwood Fire Company, your NEW voting location is the Pomeroy Fire Company located at 4 Belvedere Avenue, Pomeroy.
Get out and vote!!!

10/19/2020

We wanted to make sure that everyone knows that the Valley Township administrative offices have moved to the new building at 1145 W. Lincoln Highway. Utility bills can be paid there. The police are temporarily still at the old township building, but will be moving soon!

10/19/2020

So it seems we're able to post things again, and we wanted the first one to be important. You may see our members wearing pink badges or pins this month. We want to show our support for all those who have fought or are fighting cancer. Stay strong! Keep on fighting! We're with you!

10/12/2020

Hello! We're trying to get back on FB but still having issues. If you have a question, please send them to [email protected] and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. If anyone has any ideas on how to fix a FB corporate account, we'd welcome the help. Thank you!

09/10/2020

As some may have noticed, Facebook is having an issue with some accounts, which is why we haven't been posting. It's being worked on. As soon as it's fixed, we'll be back!

07/02/2020

Just something to think about. Thank you.

07/02/2020

Honored and very happy to be a part of the Community/Police Partnership Forum last night that was organized by State Representative Williams. With open and honest conversation, we can solve just about anything! Thank you to all who came out.

06/23/2020

Wily bear with sweet tooth trapped by Pennsylvania town using doughnuts from Dunkin’

I lied, one more. We made national news!
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.charlotteobserver.com%2fnews%2fnation-world%2fnational%2farticle243734997.html&c=E,1,2DJwp0kxlKhDSG1WU6eendBea1hda-aGNti0qj4DyaDZtfMNC8ChRFyipU7t3y3hRQh6334xefGc0W32nL0-vGJeDQZdrnR88iMibG-47r-J1ByXavmRag,,&typo=1

“The bear was not harmed ... but the donuts didn’t make it.”

06/23/2020

OUR FINAL BEAR UPDATE! Our young friend (who is a boy) was safely taken up to Union County, PA., and released. Union County is east of State College and there are state-owned lands everywhere for him to roam.

I did ask what kind of donuts it was that finally got him in the cage. I didn't get an answer, but I'm sure they were good! Mmmmmmmm, donuts............

06/23/2020

A BEAR UPDATE: We are bery happy to announce that our bear friend was safely taken into custody last night and is now up north in a safer environment. The PA Game Commission put out a trap baited with donuts. Seems our bear has a sweet tooth and at about 9:45 last night it walked into the cage where is was safely held. The bear was not harmed and no humans were injured, but the donuts didn't make it.

Thank you for helping us keep and eye on the bear and keeping it and our community safe. We really appreciate the team work. Have a great day, and be careful in the heat!

06/22/2020

Guess who's back? Back again? The bear is back. Tell a friend. Oh, you know the rest.....

Anyhow, the bear has been seen multiple times near the Rt. 30 Bypass between Airport Road and the Sadsbury border, headed west. The Game Commission is in the process of putting out a humane trap loaded with donuts (insert joke here). Like us, they have no intention of harming the bear. They wish to relocate it to a less densly populated area. If you see the bear, please stay away from it so it doesn't get more stressed. Please call 610-383-7000 or 911 to report a sighting. The VTPD has been following the bear most of the day. This is getting un-bearable. Come on, someone had to say it......

06/22/2020

Hello! Just a quick bear update for everyone:

Despite what you may have read on Facebook and other social media outlets, we have NOT shot the bear. We will not be shooting the bear. Please don't believe what you hear unless it comes from us. The bear was seen in the Hillview section of our township on Saturday. There is a chance it has moved west slightly and may be in West Caln Township, but we can't confirm that. The only way we can track the bear is when people see it and call 911. If you see the bear, please call 911. We can't regularly check our page here, so please don't message us with sightings. Our goal is to get the little guy safely up north, and any help we can get finding him is appreciated. Thank you very much and be safe!

06/18/2020

Hello! The game commission has placed a bear trap in the Hillview community close to where the bear was last seen. Please stay away from the trap, and please keep your pets away from it. The game commision has loaded the trap with donuts to use as bait. No, I'm not kidding. Apparently bears like donuts. Local police departments have been advided to keep their officers away as well....

06/18/2020

So, have you heard the rumor that there's a bear in the area? Well, it's true. It decided to add the Hillview section of Valley Township to it's tour today. Chief Newhall followed it back into the woods. It's described as about 5 feet tall, about 250 pounds, and wearing a black fur coat. The game commission was called and it is their intention to humanly trap/tranquilize the bear and take it up north. If you see the bear please call 911, and then go inside and close your doors. Please don't pet, feed, poke, or try to catch the bear. No one may shoot the bear either. It's just trying to get home, so please leave it be. We did ask the bear to wear a mask if it was going to be out, but it ignored Chief Newhall. Thank you. Please be safe.

06/10/2020

Please be careful!

06/01/2020

This made my day. I saw this today while out on patrol in our great township. This is how I know that we will be okay. We have good people who want to help each other. Thanks to this resident, and all the others that that do so much for their neighbors and our community. Thank you!!

06/01/2020

Hello, this is Brian Newhall, Chief of the VTPD. I've gotten a lot of good questions from people who are concerned about their communities, especially concerning recent events. I am happy to get (and answer) these questions, because I believe that it shows that people care. I encourage our community to ask questions and to get to know us. In stressful times like these, open communication is key to relieving some of the strain and fear we all have. Police officers should be a part of the community they serve, as we strive to be here in Valley. I believe that officers should be held to the highest standards, and a police department should be as transparent as possible. I also believe that existing laws should be fairly and appropriately applied to ALL people. Here are the questions I’ve been most commonly asked:

Do police receive cultural diversity/sensitivity training? We do - first in the police academy, and then we receive additional training at least annually here at the VTPD. Actually, all Valley Township employees receive this training.

What kind of force can police officers use/not use? The VTPD has a very strict policy that only the minimum amount of force necessary to take a resisting suspect into custody will be used, and that amount will not increase unless absolutely necessary. The force we use must be appropriate, and legally justifiable. We may also use force when necessary to protect the public or ourselves, and any force used for any situation will stop as soon as possible

Do police wear body cameras? We do, and we have a general order that on-duty officers will wear them as part of their uniform and that they will be turned on whenever we interact with the public. We do not destroy or alter video/audio recordings, and we keep those recordings saved according to accredited standards.

How many people of each race do you arrest? In 2019, our arrests broke down like this: 56% White, 37% Black, 7% Hispanic

Police officers are people, just like you. None of us is perfect, and we all make mistakes. Here, we hold ourselves accountable for our actions and learn from our mistakes so we don't repeat them. Our officers sometimes have to make a split-second judgement about someone we are in contact with, but we do not base those judgments on color, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other stereotype or prejudice. If we have to judge someone, we do it based upon their actions. People are responsible for their own actions, and that's all we use to make a judgement about someone here. We fully understand that sometimes there may be a reason behind someone's behavior. Talk to us. We'll listen.

I was also asked to express my thoughts about the tragic loss of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis: As a human being, I was horrified by what I saw. As an instructor who teaches use of force and arrest tactics to officers, I was disgusted. There is never a reason to do what that officer did. As a law enforcement officer, I believe that any and all appropriate charges should be brought against that officer, and that the legal system should be allowed to do its job. As a police chief, it reminded me of how lucky I am to work with the people I do and serve in the community that I do. Our motto here is “Together with our Community”, and we try to live that every day. As a police chief I also believe that people have a right to peacefully protest and express their anger and frustration, and this department and I will protect those rights. I do not support any acts of violence against anyone. Our citizens and their property will be protected to the best of our abilities.

Once the pandemic restrictions are lifted, we welcome you to come meet us, see where we work, and see what we use to help keep the public safe. That is our job after all, keeping people safe. It’s a job we take very seriously, and love to do. Thank you all, and please take care of yourselves.

05/27/2020

Unfortunately, we have some bad new to share with some of you: Over the last few weeks we've been honored to participate in birthday and graduation celebrations by driving by with our lights and sirens on. As of June 1st, we're going to have to stop doing that. Many of you know that we're getting ready to move, and we have lots of training coming up (that was postponed due to the virus), so our free time away from patrolling and answering calls is limited. If you've already booked a visit from us, we'll be there, but we won't be doing any more. Thanks for including us, and thanks for your understanding. Congrats to all the grads out there!

05/18/2020

Happy National EMS Week to all of you who provide emergency medical care! Thank you for all you do!

05/18/2020

A big thank you to the Coatesville Moose Lodge for the hoagie tray and to some of our fine residents who had Bryant Brother's Smokehouse drop off some food for our officers on Friday. Thank you so very much for thinking of us!

05/14/2020

The Supervisors and Township Manager in Valley were kind enough to recoginize National Police Week. Thank you very much! (It looks great in person, just isn't the best pic)

05/14/2020

Last Friday the Sadsbury Township Police Department held a ceremony in memory of a fallen Philadelphia Police Officer. Members of the VTPD were honored to be able to participate.

05/13/2020

This wonderful woman, Courtney Bunker, from Farmers Insurance was very kind to us today and brought us lunch. Thank you very much for thinking of us!!

05/11/2020

Flying proudly above the Valley Township Municipal Building

05/11/2020

May 10 through May 16 is National Police Week. We take this time to remember the 134 officers who died in the line of duty in 2019, and to acknowledge the 228 officers who took their own lives. We feel every loss, and we appreciate all the support from our community. Thank you for everything.

05/07/2020

Sunday May 10th starts National Police Week in our country. May 15th is our National Law Enforcement Memorial Day when we recoginize the 134 officers we lost in the line of duty last year. To start the week off, there will be a ceremony this Friday, May 8th at 10:00 A.M. at the Sadsbury Township Police Department located at 2920 Lincoln Highway, Sadsburyville. Bagpipers will pay tribute to our fallen. The public is welcome to join us. As always, thank you for your support.

05/05/2020

Last thursday our area got hit hard by the wind and rain storm. The VTPD would like to thank the Westwood Fire Company and the Sadsburyville Fire Company Fire Police for all their help. It was greatly appreciated. We know that closed roads can be confusing and annoying. We only ever close roads to keep people safe. If you look closely, you'll see a pole with a transformer and wires down mixed in with that tree. Please be careful, and never go past cones or barricades. Thank you!

05/05/2020

PennDot has extended the renewal dates for some of your license and vehicle paperwork. Here's the current information:

04/28/2020

Some very kind residents of our HIll View development dropped off some goodies for the department today. Thank you so very much. Being thought of means more than you know!

04/23/2020

We made a couple more birthdays special today during a lull in our calls. Thanks to our friends from the Westwood Fire Company and the State Police. Happy birthday to all!

04/21/2020

The VTPD and the Westwood Fire Company were happy to pay another birthday visit today. Between responding to calls and patrolling our neighborhoods we're happy to meet with and bring smiles to our community. Happy birthday!

04/16/2020

We're flattening the curve because we're all doing our part. Keep up the good work!

04/15/2020

Becuase of the social distancing procedures in place, Valley Township has put a mailbox in front of the township building for people to pay their bills which are due to the township. If you want to pay your bill here, please bring your bill and a check or money order made out to "Valley Township". Place it in an envelope, and drop it in the mailbox. If you don't have an envelope, we've put ones out for you to use. No cash will be accepted, and no receipts are being issued at this time unless you include a self-addressed envelope and request a receipt.

04/15/2020

GOOD NEWS! Our little furry friend will be headed home soon. The Brandywine Valley SPCA came out to our station and were able to read his chip. They will be contacting his owner. We're very grateful to the SPCA for their help. Don't forget them if you're making any donations this year!
Since people have asked, this happy dog had a busy day. He spent the morning riding around with the Chief patrolling the township. He got fed, watered, went for a walk, and got a belly rub before the SPCA came to help him. Thanks to all of you who shared our post and messaged. As always, we appreciate it!